WEDDINGS

it’s all in the details #8: its beginning to look a lot like christmas…

Hello :)

I am so excited about today, I allowed myself to start collecting gorgeous Christmassy ideas back in November. OK. October. And I’ve been itching to share them with you ever since, well today’s the day! Yay!

Getting the decorations out of the loft signals the beginning of the festive season for me, all the little trinkets and sparkly things collected over the years unwrapped and carefully placed in their winter home for the next few weeks. I love decorating my tree, the first house warming gift we recieved when we moved here 5 years ago. Yes, I must admit it’s a fakey, but as we spend most of the Christmas week with family we don’t get the chance to really appreciate a real one.

I love styling our home for the festive season, I love to mix the traditional with some unexpected modern touches and homemade items to make it extra special. I combine reds and golds to create a warm and glowing interior, but would love one year to go all Scandi, and use a mix of reds, white and a touch of green.

So, rather than my usual it’s all in the detailswedding styling inspiration today I want to share some gorgeous ideas for styling your home, as well as some fun and new ways of wrapping those special gifts.

{christmas wreaths}

Traditionally hung with candles as a way to count down to Christmas, a wreath is a beautiful welcome to your home during the festive season. For me, decorating the house isn’t complete until something is hung on the front door! I love these modern ideas, some DIY, some shop bought but all beautiful ways to show your love of Christmas from the outside in.

As you sit down to enjoy the most important meal of the year, the one spent with all your nearest and dearest (without fighting for just a few hours) it’s lovely to sit at a table full of Christmas cheer. Red and white stripes look fun, elegant and modern. Add a few red flowers and plenty of green foliage, tie a candy cane at each place setting with some twine or ribbon for an extra little gift at each place setting.

I must admit, I love buying Christmas gifts. I spend hours deliberating over the perfect gift for each recipent, so I want it to look pretty special too! I tend to stick to brown parcel or kraft paper to wrap, it’s cheap and easy to get hold of and means you can have more fun with the tags and gift toppers! For the more traditional receiver, I love the idea of using pinecones and spruce tied to the top of each gift with simple brown twine. To glam this up, you could spray them with gold or silver paint and tie with a red ribbon. I also love the gifts adorned with vintage doileys and trims, finished with reindeer tags for a traditional game lodge look.

Using kraft paper in a more modern way, design and print custom labels, or if you’re feeling extra artistic create your own wrapping paper designs on the computer or using a white pen directly onto the paper, and finish with red and white string and washi tape.

You know that sinking feeling when you realise it’s Christmas Eve and you still have one last gift to buy? Or you get invited out last minute and are in a rush to find a little present for your host? Well, these simple DIY gifts, made from things you probably have at home or can pick up from your local supermarket or corner shop are an absolute life saver! Simply fill a container (box, jar, mug) with festive treats, or a hot chocolate mix (you can find a recipe here), spruce it up with a tag and ribbon and hey presto, an instant gift that looks like you’ve put in a lot of effort.

If you don’t think food is the answer, how about creating your own body scrub using brown sugar, granulated sugar, oil and a scent of your choice (vanilla extract is a good one!). Or repurpose an old bauble with a scrap of fabric and a ribbon for a thoughtful gift that can be used every year!

After all that, you probably need a drink! I love the festive red colours in these delicious looking concoctions! Cranberry and ginger fizz, a refreshing chilled cocktail for the frazzled Christmas host, or hot mulled wine full of the rich, deep spices that can’t fail to make you feel all Christmassy inside! If hosting a party, serve your drinks in these cute little milk bottles, decorated with mini wreaths, and finished with one of my favourite things, stripy straws!

For the non-alcoholics among us, how about a thick hot chocolate, decorated with a beautiful white marshmallow star. All of these, of course need to be served with some festive treats, mince pies, cherry pies and these adorable mini Christmas cakes that remind me of the ones I used to make at school!

Have you prepared your home yet for Christmas? With just over a week to go, I hope I’ve inspired a few additions, gift ideas and perhaps even some new wrapping techniques? If all that fails, just move on to the drinks, all in the name of Christmas Spirit ;)

Louise

I have always been a creative soul, from glitter-filled art room projects to a degree in Interior Design, followed by a decade working in the corporate world. Planning my wedding fuelled an undiscovered passion for discovering pretty things, an obsession with perfect details and a love for love. B.LOVED is a place I can indulge and share my passions; weddings, interiors, fashion, travel, family and beauty, things all women love. It’s without doubt I can say I have the best job ever!

it’s all in the details: ribbon ba

Afternoon all! As you all know by now, I have a mild obsession with wedding details, from

I have a bauble wreath at home but nowhere near as gorgeous as the one you have found!! Beautiful inspiration!

http://www.thewhitelibrary.com Sandra Downie @ The White Library

The wrapping paper, wreaths, smores kit…wow this is a great roundup. Happy Holidays are here!

http://www.temptingcake.com Emily @Tempting Cake

Some fantastic ideas here for a super stylish Noël!

http://weddings.hannahmia.com Hannah Mia

Oh wow, I love everything in this post!! Especially the green wreath and the marshmallows!

I really wanted to do brown paper wrapping this year and bought gorgeous vintage Christmas ribbon, but, I chickened out at the last minute thinking I don’t have the flair for it to not look like I just ran out of Christmas paper…